Aug/100
Former Microsoft VP brings Halo to the Atari 2600
Sometimes you just can’t stop a man and his dream. In this case, the man is Ed Fries, the former vice president of Microsoft’s game publishing division, and the dream is a version of Halo for the Atari 2600. That actually started out simply as a way for Fries to learn to program for the 2600, but quickly turned into a full-fledged, Adventure-style game that made its debut at this past weekend’s Classic Gaming Expo — in cartridge form, no less, and with a label that’d look at home in any shoebox full of 2600 carts (check it out after the break). Just as impressive as the game itself, however, is the story behind it. Here’s just a sample:
It’s around this time that I discovered the existence of what I call “Magic Land”. I was working on a bug with the boss encounter and accidentally found myself completely outside the 64 room map. I was wandering through memory that was never intended to be interpreted as part of the map but the code was doing the best it could to interpret what was being thrown at it. Strange, misshapen monsters attacked me in even stranger ways as I wandered through this bizarre land that I had unintentionally created. I left a bug or two in the final game to allow others to find and explore this strange landscape as I did.
Oh, did we mention you can play it right now? Hit up the source link below and prepare to forget that Halo Reach even exists.
Continue reading Former Microsoft VP brings Halo to the Atari 2600
Former Microsoft VP brings Halo to the Atari 2600 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jul/100
Samsung Intercept for Sprint now totally official: July 11 for $100
Well, that didn’t take long, did it? Just earlier today we were talking about how the Intercept was starting to make its way into bits and pieces of Sprint’s system, but now, the announcement’s here and it’s the real deal. Most notably, the Android-powered landscape QWERTY slider will go to market for under $100 (by a penny, anyway) on contract after rebate, making it a value-oriented alternative for the monsters like the EVO 4G and Epic 4G that Sprint is pushing on the high end. Of course, if you pay a midrange price, you’re going to get midrange features; the 3.2 megapixel cam with video capture, isn’t going to blow anyone away, and amazingly, Sammy has gone with an EV-DO Rev. 0 radio (as opposed to Rev. A) which means you’ll be limping along with slower data speeds than you’d expect from your average modern CDMA smartphone. Look for it to hit Sprint’s site and stores starting this Sunday, July 11. Follow the break for the full press release.
Continue reading Samsung Intercept for Sprint now totally official: July 11 for $100
Samsung Intercept for Sprint now totally official: July 11 for $100 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jun/100
Acer Aspire 8943G and 5943G (aka Acer Ethos) preview
Acer may have announced its new Aspire Ethos line a few months back, but this is the first time we have had the chance to catch a glimpse of the multimedia monsters in person, albeit these were lacking that special Ethos branding on the exterior. We’ve really got to hand it to Acer on the new aesthetic of the 18.4-inch 8943G and 15.6-inch 5943G — the systems have a nice brushed metal coating and glorious-looking chiclet keyboards. Though obviously, the first thing that caught our eye was that black dual-mode touchpad which is pictured above — it’s a standard touchpad until you press the circular button between the buttons, after which it turns into the system’s multimedia controls. When we tapped that movie button, it briskly launched Windows Media player, but we do fear that the glossy plastic coating on the pad will hamper everyday navigation. Both models on display were powered by 1.6GHz Core i7-720QM CPUs, but the 5943G had 4GB of DDR3 RAM and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 graphics while the 8943G boasted 8GB of RAM and a Radeon HD 5850. In addition, they’ve got 8-cell batteries and Blu-ray drives, so three cheers for that. We’ll be keeping an ear out for the arrival of these bad boys stateside, but until then feast your eyes on the beauty shots below.
Gallery: Acer Aspire 8943G and 5943G hands-on
Acer Aspire 8943G and 5943G (aka Acer Ethos) preview originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 11:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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May/100
F.E.A.R. 3 trailer piles on the cheese
Dear Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment,
Look, we get what you’re trying to do here with this F.E.A.R. 3 trailer, but you aren’t getting the desired result. The live-action portions don’t make the world more believable — in fact, they do the complete opposite. It just comes off as hokey and low-budget. Did you really watch this before sending it out? Bush league, guys.
The gameplay portions of the trailer, however, are more our speed. There’s slow-mo gunplay, creepy monsters and plenty of that wonderful ragdoll physics we’ve grown to love. That’s the winning formula! Please keep that in mind for next time.
Sincerely,
F.E.A.R. 3 trailer piles on the cheese originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 May 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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May/100
ABC Player for iPad updated, 3G streaming is a go
Well that was fast. That ABC Player for iPad update we heard about this morning has already made its way through Apple’s approval process and is now available for download. Orientation lock is now, erm, on lock controls are more responsive, but most importantly, (lower bitrate) 3G streaming is now a go. With that settled, now no bus ride will ever get between you and an island chockfull of confusion and smoke monsters.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
ABC Player for iPad updated, 3G streaming is a go originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 May 2010 23:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mar/100
Majin and the Forsaken Trailer
He’s huge, he’s covered in foliage — he’s Majin, and in this latest trailer for Maijn and the Forsaken Kingdom, we get to see him and his friend some guy fighting the evil forces that have made the kingdom so forsaken. Majin may be cuddly, but he won’t hesitate to straight up drop a wall on some monsters. He will emit lightning, should the situation require it. In addition, we see that even without his BFF Majin around, the kid can do some platforming and acrobatic fighting on his own.
Majin is currently scheduled to arrive on PS3 and Xbox 360 this summer.
Continue reading Majin and the Forsaken Trailer
Majin and the Forsaken Trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mar/100
Samsung 3D Starter Kit gets 3DTV and Blu-ray buyers started
Planning on buying one of those fresh Samsung 3D HDTVs and Blu-ray players now that they are available? Well, the good news from Samsung’s press conference is that you’ll get a free 3D Starter Kit if you decide to fork over the cash for them both. Included are two pairs of active shutter glasses (available separately for $150) and the 3D Blu-ray version of Monsters vs. Aliens, which is exclusive to Samsung for the time being. And speaking of new 3D titles, DreamWorks’ own Jeffrey Katzenberg took stage to announce that Shrek will be coming soon. We’re not sure how we feel about these super expensive sets, but the hands-on pictures of the kit do seem to make spending plus $2,000 for that new Sammy 3DTV and Blu-ray player a bit more enticing.
Gallery: Samsung 3D Starter Kit hands-on
Samsung 3D Starter Kit gets 3DTV and Blu-ray buyers started originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mar/100
Samsung’s 2010 3DTVs priced from $1,700 to ridiculous and everywhere in between
Enjoy your CES peek at Samsung’s ultrathin 9000 series LED-lit LCD HDTV, with its touchscreen, video displaying remote control (also available as a $350 add-on for the 7000, 8000,and 750 series televisions) and 3D capability? That’s good, because bringing the 55-inch UN55C9000 home in April will cost you a cool $6,999 (the thrifty can slum it with the 46-inch version for $5,999.) Still, if you’re just looking to jump in on 3D without spending the max money, the cheapest model available at first will be the standard LCD LN46C750 available in May. In between, there’s all manner of LED (most of them listed above, both with and without 3D capabilities) or old-school CCFL backlit LCDs plus a healthy lineup of plasmas arriving over the next few months, so with a note that grabbing 3D Blu-ray player and display at the same time will net a couple free pairs of active shutter glasses and a copy of the Monsters vs. Aliens 3D Blu-ray, check Samsung’s site for each type to see what your budget can handle.
Samsung’s 2010 3DTVs priced from $1,700 to ridiculous and everywhere in between originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Feb/100
Nexus One coming to Vodafone UK in April, says Telegraph
Without citing its sources, the Telegraph is reporting matter-of-factly that the Nexus One will launch on Vodafone in April for a to-be-determined price, though it’s “likely to be priced very similarly to comparable smartphones such as the iPhone.” It’s no secret that Vodafone’s picking up Google’s Snapdragon-powered beast — but we’ve yet to lock it down to a 30-day window like this, so it’s progress. Coincidentally, this is going to collide head-to-head with the European release of the Desire, HTC’s remix of the Nexus One with Sense and an optical pad thrown in, so it’ll be fascinating to see which of these monsters comes out on top at retail.
Nexus One coming to Vodafone UK in April, says Telegraph originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jan/100
Your obligatory violent gameplay video of the day is Dante’s Inferno
There is no shortage of button-mashing action titles coming in 2010, and Dante’s Inferno is right around the corner. Promising buckets of blood, brooding and boobs, the team at Visceral Games hope to capture the overlapping fans of both literary masterpieces and punching monsters in the face. It’s like an obvious Venn diagram of awesome. Well, until someone finally turns Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret into a collectible card game.
Your obligatory violent gameplay video of the day is Dante’s Inferno originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Jan/1025
Classic Game Room HD – ROBOT ALCHEMIC DRIVE PS2 review
Classic Game Room HD reviews ROBOT ALCHEMIC DRIVE for Playstation 2 PS2, a video game where you are the guy behind the guy behind the giant, destructive robot. Control one of three characters as they control robots in battle against Volgara monsters destroying Earth’s cities! Mighty robots destroying mighty buildings with flamethrowers? Sounds like a winner! This game comes complete with a cheesy Godzilla-style sci-fi plot, awful (awesome) voice acting and mangled English dialog. Basically …
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Jan/100
PixelJunk creator disappointed by cheap gamers
Q-Games’ Dylan Cuthbert doesn’t like you, cheap gamer. When quizzed by Develop, the PixelJunk creator described one thing that disappointed him most about the industry: gamers that refuse to open up their wallets. “Gamers complaining about our games being too expensive at 10 dollars. I’m not sure this is an industry problem, but it seems ridiculous that people complain about that price point.” Cuthbert seems particularly sensitive about this issue, noting the rampant piracy of PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe on PSP earlier this year.
The naysayers seem few and far apart, though. PixelJunk Shooter went on to become the second best-selling game on PSN in December. Some members of the Joystiq community have even suggested the game is worth “more than $10.” Obviously, the studio is doing well enough with its PSN endeavors, as Cuthbert confirms that “more PixelJunk is definitely in the pipeline.” With PixelJunk Dungeons and presumably PixelJunk Shooter Encore in the works, the indie studio clearly has a lot to work on at the moment.
PixelJunk creator disappointed by cheap gamers originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 16 Jan 2010 08:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Dec/090
LG’s projector-laden eXpo smartphone gets demonstrated on video
The projector phone mishmash idea has been around (and even demonstrated) for quite some time now, but only recently have we seen one of these two-pronged, hunchbacked monsters land on a major US carrier. LG’s eXpo is carrying that crown (or burden, depending on perspective), and while we’re itching to get one into our own labs for testing, we’ll happily pass along what looks to be the world’s first real good look at this handset in action. Make no mistake — the DLP-based beamer affixed on the back adds quite the bulge, but the actual video performance looks about as good as any dedicated pico projector that we’ve seen to date. Have a peek past the break to see for yourself.
Continue reading LG’s projector-laden eXpo smartphone gets demonstrated on video
LG’s projector-laden eXpo smartphone gets demonstrated on video originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 06 Dec 2009 21:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Nov/090
Sony PSPs enlisted as study aids by the Royal Navy
Whoever it was at Sony HQ that decided to pursue “military contracts” as a revenue source, kudos! Mere days after the US Air Force expressed interest in expanding its PS3 supercomputer, we’re hearing glorious Britannia’s Royal Navy has conscripted 230 PSPs into duty as revision aids for its trainee sailors. Loaded with maths and physics materials, the PSPs can be used in a bunk, have familiar controls for the young and mostly male recruits, and are considered pretty tough to break. The underlying reason for this move though is cost cutting: by making the training course more intensive, the Navy is saving on teaching time. Given that the UMD drive won’t come disabled — which is hoped to encourage the sailors to take better care of the device — the future this paints is of marines who’ve spent more time with a freebie handheld console than with a pro instructor, but have a great stable of captured monsters to show for it.
[Thanks, pankomputerek]
Sony PSPs enlisted as study aids by the Royal Navy originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Oct/090
Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman 2! Time to Tighten Up Security! — the trailer
At Tokyo Game Show 2009, NIS America took the time to announce a few new games for Western release. Amongst them was the sequel to Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman!. The retro-themed anti-hero game comes equipped with 4 times more stages, 3.3 times more monsters and 2.3 times more heroes than the first game. The hilarious sort-of-localized trailer makes note that creatures at your disposal can also mutate through deformity, obesity and gigantism.
Most likely, the Badman sequel will skip UMD and head straight to PSN release. Makes sense, considering the bite-sized nature of the game. But if for some reason you insist on having plastic packaging, go to the PlayStation.Blog to tell NIS that you really want a UMD version of the first game.
Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman 2! Time to Tighten Up Security! — the trailer originally appeared on Joystiq Playstation on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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